Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited has floated tenders for the installation process of platform screen doors at 12 underground stations on the Pink Line.
In the city’s upcoming Namma Metro Pink Line, protection doors will be installed for the first time. Full-height Platform Screen Doors (PSD) are to be installed at 12 underground metro stations on the upcoming Pink Line (Dairy Circle-Nagawara) and two underground metro stations at Kempegowda International Airport under the Phase II project of Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).
These PSDs will help BMRCL cut down on maintenance costs, and less electricity usage and air conditioning since underground metro stations require high maintenance costs. B L Yashavanth Chavan, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of BMRCL said, “If we reduce the load on these things, it will automatically reflect the passenger fares, it’s an indirect benefit that the passenger is going to receive and their safety.” He added that over the years BMRCL has seen the maintenance cost of the present underground stations, and a huge amount of energy is consumed because of the ventilation process in these metro stations. He further added that additional air curtains need to be added to the opening of the tunnels so that the air from the air conditioners is not lost through the tunnel. Chavan said, “We expect to cut costs by 30-40 percent on the Pink Line underground stations.”
There are already PSDs installed in Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata, which prevent air from circulating in tunnels from the ACs.
Metro platform doors in other cities.
Homeguards in Namma metro stations have been facing issues with tackling passengers, especially during rush hours. Dinesh, a home guard at Majestic metro station says that during rush hours looking after passenger’s safety is a major concern for them. He said, “Some people will try to rush into the compartment, despite seeing the door is closing. Since the doors are automated, it will again open and by that time the train gets late by 2-3 minutes late to reach the next station.” He further added that some people tend to go near the edge of the platform and stand there, and the home guards need to yell at them from time to time to stay away from the edge. Dinesh hopes PSDs will help security guards at metro stations.
Professor MN Sreehari, founder and chairman of the Indian Smart City Development Organisation and former traffic advisor to the Government of Karnataka said, “In fact, I was insisting from day one to install safety glass doors in the Metro. I strongly insist on installing at all metro stations, irrespective of the cost as safety is very important.” He further added in the very first week of the metro operation in Bengaluru, one person died by falling in the purple line. He says that hope to see these platform screen doors in the upcoming new metro lines.
For the installation process, BMRCL requires more than Rs 15 crore per station for the installation process and some amount for its annual maintenance cost. The corporation has invited bidders for the designing manufacturing, supplying, installing, testing and commissioning of Signalling and Train Control and Platform screen door/Gate Systems. The platform doors will come up on underground stations between Kalena Agrahara (formerly known as Gottigere) and Nagawara, and Phase- II B (Airport line) as an extension of Outer Ring Road (ORR) line from K. R Puram to Kempegowda International Airport Terminal under Phase- II B.
The pink line is expected to be completed by March 2025.
